How to Make Extra Money Selling on Poshmark

December 31, 2019/

Are
you taking the plunge on a capsule wardrobe or maybe just doing a major closet
cleanout? It can feel so freeing to get rid of all the extra clothes, shoes,
and accessories you don’t need or use, but what should you do with them?
Donation is always a quick and easy option, but have you wondered if you can
make extra money selling clothes on Poshmark?

Here
I’ll share my personal experiences with Poshmark after using the platform for
over 2 years, along with tips to help you be successful. This article is about
casual selling of your personal items, not making a business of Poshmark
selling (though there are plenty who do this as well). Get ready to turn your
discarded items into cash!

What
Is Poshmark?

Poshmark is an online platform for selling secondhand clothes, shoes, and accessories. It has recently expanded to include household items as well. Poshmark makes it easy for you to create an ad with pictures and a description for each item, then post it for sale to its thousands of users. You set your price, and the buyer always pays shipping.

Buyers
can search and browse for items based on brand, size, and category. They can
like items to save them to their favorites list, make an offer on an item for
the seller to consider, or purchase an item for its list price.

Once
an item in your Poshmark “closet” sells, Poshmark makes it really easy by
emailing you a printable shipping label. You simply package your item, attach
the pre-prepared shipping label, and drop it in your mailbox or any postal
center. Once the seller receives your item, they inspect it to make sure it
matched your description and have 3 days to accept the item before your payment
is released by Poshmark.

Poshmark
takes care of collecting and distributing payment and acts as a mediator should
there be any issues. Buyers are only allowed to reject an item if it did not
have an accurate description (such as flaws not described); there are no returns
for a buyer changing their mind or finding out the item is not a good fit for
them.

How
does Poshmark compare to other ways of selling clothes?

Aside from Poshmark, you could always make extra money selling clothes at a yard sale. Yard sales are quick and relatively painless (over in one day), but the prices you’ll fetch are typically rock bottom.

There are other selling platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and good old Craigslist (see my assessment of these), but I’ve found Poshmark to be a top performer for clothes.

I
personally haven’t tried ThredUp, because I read the payouts can be pennies.
The simplicity is tempting—you pack your closet contents into their bag and
send it off to be accepted and paid in one batch.

How
to be successful selling on Poshmark

Know
what sells

I’ve
found that women’s clothes and shoes do very well on Poshmark as women are the
majority of the buyers. I’ve had some success with baby and kids clothes, but
you need to be choosy about what you post or bundle items to make it worthwhile
for buyers.

At
first, I expected only high-end brands would sell. I have some nice work pieces
but nothing designer. However, I was pleasantly surprised that brands like Old
Navy or even Target brands like Cherokee sold.

I
was very choosy about what I bothered to post. It had to be stain-free and
excellent condition except for maybe the most minor flaws that would be
disclosed. Anything that had a stain or noticeable flaw, I sent off to
donation.

Think
seasonally when selling on Poshmark. Tank tops likely won’t sell in January
just like boots won’t sell in July.

I
haven’t really tried selling household items. In addition to clothes, I have
sold shoes, a nursing bra, and cloth diapers.

It
can be somewhat time consuming to post your items, though the Poshmark app
makes it a seamless process. Check out some other postings to get an idea of
what measurements are helpful (waist, inseam, armpit to armpit measurements).

Take
good photographs

Photographs
really make an item sell. Have a plain background (brighter is better) and
consider styling your item with accessories or other coordinating pieces from
your closet. Browse the app to get an idea for what an appealing photo looks
like

You
don’t have to have special equipment, but you could lay out a blanket or just
ensure you have nice lighting.

Price
your items

Again,
browse around similar items to get a feel for common listing prices. I try to
price my items below what a clearance or good sale price would be at the store
where I bought it. You want to start a little higher than what you would like
to accept in order to allow wiggle room for offers.

Remember
that the items are used, and people want to feel like they’re getting a good
deal. For low-priced items, consider bundling similar items, especially for
baby items.

Connect
and share

A
big part of being successful is connecting with others and sharing items on the
platform. Follow others and share their items, and they will share yours too.

There
will be themed parties that you can share your items, and that can be helpful
as well. I’m not really sure why, but it must get more people to browse your
selection, because it does seem to help over time. When I’m actively selling,
I’ll spend a few minutes a day doing this—it doesn’t have to be anything over
the top.

Make
private offers

I’ve
found the key to making sales on Poshmark is the private offer feature. After
someone (or a few people) like your item, you can send them a special price
with reduced shipping. This is the key to sealing the deal and making sales on
Poshmark.

You
want to be mindful of this when originally pricing your items, because you will
often need to offer a discount to get them to sell. The likers will receive a
notification of your offer and have a limited time to accept. Make use of this
feature, and you will sell!

Does
selling on Poshmark really work?

With
some effort and patience, you can make some extra money selling on Poshmark.
I’m not active on there all the time. I log on when I have batches of items to
sell and will give it a try for about a month or so, after which they go to
donation or a yard sale.

I suggest setting a time limit so you don’t just keep the items forever. I always cordon them off in a bin or to a special section of the closet while I wait to see if they will sell. Going through selling periods helps me from having to monitor the app all the time, but you can do what works for you.

To
date, I’ve sold 24 items for over $200. I’m pleased with this return and feel
it was a good use of my time. I certainly didn’t sell everything I posted—maybe
more like 20%.

You
can either cash out and get your money from the app, or you can spend what you
earned within the app. I probably spent about half of my earnings within the
app, buying pieces for myself or clothes and Halloween costumes for the kids. I
feel like I’m saving money and being environmentally responsible by buying
perfectly decent used items.

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Hi There

I’m Gina, a mom of four ranging from teething to teen. I’m no stranger to mental health struggles and exhaustion. I found out the hard way how important it is to take care of yourself when, as moms, we can be so focused on giving everything to our precious little ones. I’m still working towards this every day, and I’m so pleased to help others in this journey.

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